Device for applying lubricant to wire



Sept 25, 1956 J. A. THOMAS DEVICE FOR APPLYING LUBRICANT TO WIRE FiledMarch 11, 1955 Pu -p. '1.

m/ VE/V ram" JAMES A. rwnms,

his AWWW United States Patent DEVICE FOR APPLYING LUBRICANT T0 WIREJames A. Thomas, Munhall, Pa., assignor to United States SteelCorporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application March 11, 1955,Serial No. 493,744

5 Claims. (Cl. 118--612) This invention relates to an improved devicefor applying pasty or powdered lubricant to wire, which term as usedherein also embraces analogous products, such as rods.

Before conducting certain operations on wire, it is customary to applypasty or powdered lubricant to its surface. The conventional way ofapplying these types of lubricant is simply to pull the wire through amass of the lubricant within a receptacle. For example, before wire isdrawn through a die, its surface must be lubricated, commonly with apreparation of powdered soap or the like. Conventionally the die boxincludes a receptacle which contains this lubricant and is situatedimmediately in front of the entry side of the die. For wire traveling ina straight path, as when subjected to back tension, such arrangementshave a disadvantage that the wire tends to wear a channel or tunnel inthe lubricant and thereafter does not become properly lubricated. It isknown that agitation of the lubricant overcomes this tendency, butprevious agitating means with which I am familiar both are cumbersomeand require a special external drive mechanism.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved lubricatingdevice for wire in which the lubricant is agitated continuously withoutexternal drive mechanism, that is, in which the wire itself drives theagitating means.

A further object is to provide an improved lubricating device whichembodies a pair of drive rollers within the lubricant mass propelled bythe wire as it travels therethrough, said rollers carrying agitatingmeans for the lubricant.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I haveprovided improved details of structure, a preferred form of which isshown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a lubricating device constructed inaccordance with my invention; and

Figure 2 is a vertical section on line II-II of Figure 1.

The drawing shows a lubricant reservoir which normally contains a massof pasty or powdered lubricant to about the level indicated in Figure 2.A wire W to be lubricated passes continuously in a straight path throughthe lubricant mass from top to bottom as viewed in Figure 1. Thereservoir 10 is illustrated as constituting a portion of a wire drawingdie box which at its exit end supports a die 12, shown onlydiagrammatically. Apart from my novel agitating means, the reservoir andassociated elements can be of any standard or desired con struction andhence are not shown in detail.

In accordance with my invention, a base plate 13 is bolted to the bottomof the reservoir and carries a fixed pillar 14 at one side of the pathof the Wire W. An opposed movable pillar 15 is mounted at the other sideof this path on a slide 16 which is supported in a slideway 17 formed inthe base plate 13. Grooved drive rollers 18 and 19 are journaled to thetops of the pillars 14 and 15 respectively. These rollers bear againstop- 2 posite sides of the wire W in tight frictional engagemerit,whereby travel of the wire propels the rollers. Preferably the groovedfaces of the rollers are knurled as shown in Figure 2 to alford a morepositive drive. As the rolls turn, the knurled surfaces also collectlubricant and assist in packing it on the surface of the wire. Theunderfaces of the rollers carry one or more stirring pins 20 whichextend down into the lubricant mass. As the rollers turn, these pinscontinuously agitate the lubricant to prevent formation of a tunnel orchannel where the wire passes through.

The means for holding the roller 19 against the wire includes a tensionrod 21 which extends from the inner face of the slide 16 through a bore22 and counterbore 23 in the base plate 13 and an opening 24 in thereservoir wall at the far side. The outer end of the rod 21 carries atension nut 25. A coil spring 26 encircles the rod 21 and at itsopposite ends bears against the bottom of the counterbore 23 and thetension nut 25.

The device also includes means for holding the roller 19 away from thewire W against the action of the spring 26, for example to permit wireto be threaded through the reservoir and die. This last means includes apull rod 27 which extends from the outer face of the slide 16 through anopening 28 in the reservoir wall at the adjacent side. A handle 29 ispivoted to the outwardly projecting end position of the rod 28 andcarries integral cams 30. To hold the roller 19 away from the wire it isnecessary only to pivot the handle 29 so that the cams 30 bear againstthe side of the reservoir.

From the foregoing description it is seen that my in-- vention afliordsa simple means for agitating a lubricant mass capable of installation onexisting lubricating de vices without otherwise altering theirstructure. Since the wire itself propels the agitating means, noexternal drive mechanism is needed, and there is no consequentialincrease in the overall dimensions of the lubricating device.

While I have bodimcnt of the tions may arise. to the disclosure appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A device for applying lubricant to wire comprising a receptacleadapted to contain lubricant and to have the wire travel therethrough ina straight path, a base plate mounted in said receptacle, a fixed pillarand a movable pillar mounted on said base plate, rollers journaled tothe tops of the respective pillars on opposite sides of the wire path,spring means acting on said movable pillar urging the roller journaledthereto toward the other roller to enable the rollers to be propelled byfrictional contact with the wire, and stirring means carried by saidrollers.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 including means for holding saidmovable pillar and the roller journaled thereto away from the otherroller against the action of said spring means.

3. A device for applying lubricant to wire comprising a receptacleadapted to contain lubricant and to have the wire travel therethrough ina straight path, a base plate mounted in said receptacle, a pillar fixedto said base plate, a slide mounted in said base plate for movementtoward and away from the wire path, a second pillar fixed to said slide,rollers journaled to the tops of the respective pillars on oppositesides of the wire path, spring means acting on said slide and the pillarthereon and urging the roller journaled to this pillar toward the otherroller to enable the rollers to be propelled by frictional contact withthe wire, and stirring means carried by said rollers.

4. A device as defined in claim 3 including means for shown anddescribed only a single eminvention, it is apparent that modifica-Therefore, I do not wish to be limited set forth but only by the scopeof the holding ;said .movablepillarv and the roller journale'd theretoaway from the other roller against the action of said spring means.

5. A device as defined in claim 4 in which said holding means comprisesa pull rodextending from said slide outside saidi receptacle, and ahandle and cam pivoted to saidipull rod.

References Cited in the fileof'this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS MehringJune 13, 1916 Keen et a1. May 1, 1934 Johnson Dec. 17, 1935 Burgeni eta1. Apr. 16, 1946 Swanson et al Ian. 8, 1952 Yakopatz Oct. 6, 1953

